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The Origin of Coffee

What

Ethiopia is the birthplace of the wild coffee plant, ‘Arabica’

Who

The coffee bean and its properties were first discovered, it is said, by a young goatherd named Kaldi, who noticed that his goats became hyperactive after eating some of the coffee berries. He tried them himself, became abnormally energetic and ran to a nearby monastery to tell the monks. They were initially angry that he was bringing evil stimulants into the monastery, throwing the berries into the fire. However, when they smelled the roasting coffee beans they tried them also, and started a custom still practised in some parts of Ethiopia today, whereby monks chew coffee beans to stay alert during lengthy prayer sessions. It was later discovered that the roasted berries could be ground into powder and used as a hot drink.

The area in which coffee grows wild is named Kafa, from which the word for coffee is derived.

The coffee ceremony is an important social event among almost every Ethiopian ethnic group.

When

Coffee is harvested in October – December.

Key points

Ethiopia is Africa’s biggest coffee grower

Coffee is Ethiopia’s most important export crop

Approximately 240,000 tonnes of coffee a year are exported from Ethiopia

320,000 hectares of coffee trees are estimated to be planted across the nation.